How to get to and from Sihanoukville Airport

Showing up at a strange airport in a strange country is, for most people, a stressful experience. Luckily, Sihanoukville Airport is so small that there’s almost nothing to worry about. There are limited options for getting from Sihanoukville Airport into town, but it’s best to have an idea in advance of what your plan is.

Getting from the Sihanoukville Airport into town

Because there are so few flights, there aren’t a lot of options for getting from the airport into Sihanoukville, and the prices are pretty fixed (and not particularly good value). Sihanoukville is known to have the most extortionate tuk tuk drivers in the country. They’ve formed a “union” which is little more than a mafia that uses price-fixing and extortion of other drivers to keep prices artificially high. For this reason, even if you see a tuk tuk at the airport, we recommend you avoid them.

The airport seems to have discontinued the shuttle bus (but if they start it back up again, please leave details in the comments section!). If you have three people or fewer, the best option is a taxi ride share.

These eager young gents will guide you to your chariot. Or airport shuttle. Or airport taxi.

For the taxi shares, the cost is the same, $5 per person or $20 for the whole taxi. You can buy a ticket at the same ticket counter on the way out of the airport. They will try and push you to buy a whole taxi, but do not budge if you don’t want to. They will make you wait for more passengers and hope that you will give in.

The trip to Sihanoukville takes about 20 minutes.

The Sihanoukville Airport shuttle and taxis. Could be worse.

If you’re staying on one of the beaches and you already have a hotel booked, you should bring a map or have an idea of where your hotel is before getting in the taxi. We recommend the detailed and free Canby maps, which can be downloaded online or found in many businesses around town.

If you have four or more people, you’ll save money by taking a private taxi. The going rate is usually around $20, but they will often ask for more. If you want to save yourself the stress, you can book a taxi online for $25. A few bucks more, but they are new SUVs with more trunk space and no haggling. Make your reservation at least 3 hours in advance.

The Sihanoukville Airport arrivals terminal is not particularly busy, with only four incoming flights each week.

Getting from town to the Sihanoukville Airport

If you’ve read the above, you can pretty much follow the same directions but in reverse. You can book a taxi at most guesthouses or any local travel agent, I’ve used Best Beach Travel (T: 015 678 924) for $15 or $20. Taxis are older Toyota Camrys and most do not have a lot of trunk space.

As mentioned above, tuk tuks are usually extortionate in Sihanoukville and are best avoided, but you can usually get a tuk tuk to the airport for $15.

Sihanoukville Airport Shuttle (closed for now, but may reopen)

by United Ground Services (UGS)
T: 088 471 1784; 010 310 737

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21 Responses to How to get to and from Sihanoukville Airport

Me and my wife plan to land at Sihanoukville Airport at 8:30 AM- March 30th. We would move to Serendipity to get a fast ferry to Koh Rong Samloem, stay 2 days, then move to Koh Rong for 1 day, and finally go to Siem Reap.
Could anyone advise us the way to get to Koh Rong Samloem as soon as possible with a fair cost? By the way, does anyone know the exact scheduled time of fast ferry at Serenpidity? Any helful experience there?

Hi – update from Jan 2018. Definitely no shuttle bus! Taxi for $20 takes about half an hour, or tuk tuk takes longer but cheaper!
Airport currently being dramatically revamped so be aware, not much space to sit before checking bags in and only two places to eat (one outside security, one inside – the one outside only does snack items).
Thanks for the valuable information we have used this website a lot!!

Update of today: No airport shuttle bus anymore, indeed: Best Beach Travel confirmed it, and also no sighting of it in the airport.

If you don’t have big luggage, that can be a easily transported on motorbike, and for a single passenger, I got 7$ motorbike ride from Otres 1 to airport, 20-25 minutes , 18 km (it is a big double distance to Samudera, which is 8km).
The guy will meet me in the airport after few days.

Alternative option from Otres 1 is well-negotiated tuk tuk 12$, that would be great option for 2pax and more (as cost-efficient as former shuttle).

On the side note, I flewn MA60 aircrafts with Bayon, 37$ one way,incl.taxes, flawless, no turbulence, in 50 minute already there, it was faster than by schedule.

My flight out of Phnom Penh at 8 a.m. What time should be at the airport ? Can I take the night bus (Giant Ibis) from Siem Reap the night before and go to the airport from the bus station on arrival at Phnom Penh ?

I landed in Sihanoukville from Siem Reap this week and looked for the shuttle bus. There was no ticket desk for the bus, just the taxi one, and no sign of a bus anywhere. I asked a few people about it (the taxi drivers wouldn’t reply) and I was told ‘no more bus’ so it seems that it’s been discontinued. My gut tells me the taxi mafia have somehow managed to squeeze it out. I had to pay the $20 fare to get to town. Felt violated 😖

I travelled today(3/22/2016). Not sure of the company name(they are right before the exit door in the airport, can’t miss them).

They have shuttle running at the moment. 6$ for serendipity and 8$ for otres. Return pickup is a dollar less. They also dropped everyone at their respective hotel. I was the unlucky one to be dropped last.

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